# Paparazzo's Wild Pursuit: How David Koppel Got the Shot

> David Koppel's 1980s-90s paparazzi exploits reveal the raw, unfiltered chase for celebrity photos before digital autofocus.
- Title: Paparazzo's Wild Pursuit: How David Koppel Got the Shot
- Summary: David Koppel's 1980s-90s paparazzi exploits reveal the raw, unfiltered chase for celebrity photos before digital autofocus. Paparazzi work required physical…
- Keywords: david koppel, bowie, jagger, dylan, marlon brando, kate moss, nfl, paparazzi, spotlight book, photography, celebrity photos, film photography
- Source: Digital Camera World — https://digitalcameraworld.com/photography/photojournalism/punched-by-bowie-thumped-by-jagger-and-swatted-with-a-newspaper-by-dylan-a-new-book-reveals-what-it-really-took-to-get-the-shot-as-a-paparazzo-long-before-autofocus-did-the-hard-work
- Published: 2026-09-27T15:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: david koppel, bowie, jagger, dylan, marlon brando, kate moss, nfl, paparazzi, spotlight book, photography, celebrity photos, film photography
## Punched by Bowie
David Koppel got punched by David Bowie in the 1980s after Bowie climbed a table to confront him.

> For him in the 1980s and 90s, a bad day at work involved David Bowie climbing onto a table and punching him in the head.
## Thumped by Jagger
Mick Jagger thumped David Koppel during a paparazzi encounter in the 1980s.

> He was thumped by Mick Jagger, swatted with a rolled-up newspaper by Bob Dylan, put in a headlock by Pierce Brosnan and scolded by Joanna Lumley.
## Swatted by Dylan
Bob Dylan swatted David Koppel with a rolled-up newspaper during a 1990s paparazzi chase.

> He was thumped by Mick Jagger, swatted with a rolled-up newspaper by Bob Dylan, put in a headlock by Pierce Brosnan and scolded by Joanna Lumley.
## Brando's Taxi Chase
Koppel shot Marlon Brando in 1992 after a taxi ride in Bayswater, capturing Brando sitting at a table.

> A tip about the iconic actor arriving at Heathrow Airport turned out to be a bust, so he and a rival pap went for a Chinese meal in Bayswater, only for Brando to walk in and sit at the next table.
## Film Era Challenges
Koppel used film photography without autofocus, processing shots manually to capture celebrities.

> Back in those days, all Koppel had to work with was a roll of film, no screen to check and no idea whether his shots were in focus until he'd processed it.
## Diana's Uncredited Shot
Koppel took a photo of Princess Diana greeting Liza Minnelli without credit, earning him a knighthood.

> His shot of Diana greeting Liza Minnelli made the front page of The Sun newspaper, which, despite his request to leave him uncredited, printed his name in large type.
## Paparazzi Scum
Pierce Brosnan called Koppel 'paparazzi scum' after their 1997 encounter in Phuket.

> When Koppel bumped into Brosnan again in Phuket around that time, the actor called him 'paparazzi scum' and walked off.
## Key takeaway

Paparazzi work required physical risk and timing, not digital tools.